Fallen Hero
by Hidemari-chan
Summary: She stands there, alone in the rain, wondering what she could have to done to deserve this cruel punishment... DM/HG Character Death, not graphic


Alone in the rain stood one person, feeling as if her heart had just been torn to shreds. Hermione Granger stood there in the middle of the deserted battlefield hours after the light had won and Harry had defeated Voldemort, yet she couldn't feel the same relief as the rest of the wizarding world. Crying softly, she knelt down next to one of the fallen bodies, another hero who had fought just like the rest of them to free the world from a monster, but the battle he fought had been infinitely harder than anyone else's. As she looked into the vacant eyes of her former lover, Draco Malfoy, she remembered how hard they had both fought to stay together, just to have it all ripped away moments before the end of the war. Suddenly, she felt like she could no longer breathe as a memory of one of their earlier love-filled days flashed in her mind.

~Flashback~

"Dracoooo!!!"

Hermione shrieked, flinging herself into her boyfriend's arms. It had been a week since she had last seen him, and they parted on uneasy terms, unsure of the results that would come of his visit to his parents. He had received a letter that informed him that they were aware of his relationship with the muggle born witch and had requested a visit so they would be able to talk face to face.

"I was so worried about you the whole time! Harry was going to feed me to the giant squid because i wouldn't stop babbling while he was trying to study for NEWTS!"

At this the blonde smiled fondly, his friendship with the Boy-Who-Lived had only come about recently as a request of Hermione's, but once the two boys had gotten to know each other they were almost inseperable! Ron also hung around with them from time to time, but the majority of his time was spent with his new girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson. Right when the Trio had gotten back from Christmas break, Ron had noticed something off about the formerly snotty Slytherin girl and decided it would be in everyone's best interest if he investigated. As it stood, the reason for her sudden quietness and withdrawl happened to be due to the fact that her father had just died at the hands of none other than his master, Voldy himself. Once she had found out she and her mother had immediately severed any ties to the Dark side and dedicated themselves to assisting Harry and his friends in their quest to defeat the Dark Lord. When Ron finally figured out her plan, he stayed and comforted her for her loss, then took her to Harry and Hermione and told them of Pansy's change of heart. They had, of course, accepted her, but Hermione had been a bit wary when she told the two of them that Draco had the same intention to help them, and Pansy could see in her eyes that the Gryffindor Princess had some feelings for the troubled Slytherin Prince and decided to play matchmaker for them.

"Hey love, great news! Father and Mother decided that they would support us and our relationship isn't that surprising?"

Draco laughed at the blatant look of shock on his love's face when he mentioned his father as well as his mother. He knew that Hermione was aware of the senior Malfoy's true loyalty, but from her expression he could tell that she didn't think his ideals had changed as well.

"A-are you sure?! Was he sick??? Oh no he was delirious wasn't he?! This is badd we need to take him to St. Mungo's, he could be dehydrated or- or suffering from Crazy Old Man Syndrome!!!"

Hermione babbled on and on until she caught the look of amusement on Draco's face.

"Draco Abraxos Malfoy this is no laughing matter! He could be seriously ill and the longer we wait the worse it could get!"

She bit her lip anxiously, while Draco finally pulled himself together and realized if he didn't tell her what was really happening then she truely would bring his father to St. Mungo's.

"Baby calm down, my father is in perfect health, the reason for his acceptance is because he understands that love has no boundaries and by forbidding me to see you he would only be ruining the relationship he has with me, and besides, he really never believed in that prejudice rubbish, it was all an act seeing as he had to play the part of a perfect pureblood."

At this she visibly relaxed, finally reasurred that Mr. Malfoy was in no immediate danger, and that Draco wasn't about to lose his father to insanity...or old age.

"This is amazing Draco! Now we don't have to hide our relationship and we can show the world what it truely means to be in love!"

They spent the next few hours kissing passionately out by the lake, stopping and heading inside just as the sun was setting.

~End Flashback~

"Draco if I had known this would happen then I would have never left your side, I knew I shouldn't have believed you when you told me you'd be alright..."

Murmuring quietly to her dying lover, she cried for all the time they would lose together, she cried for all the love he missed growing up because of the war, but most of all she cried at the fact that he would never get to live to see another sunset, and that he would never live to see his best friends get their happy ending. Sunset's were Draco's favorite time of day, he said they represented everything important in life, the setting of the sun is to keep moving on, the red hues in the sky show all the passion and drive in people's lives, the pinks hues show all the tenderness and caring everyone need sometimes in life, and the clouds in the sky show represent those moments of bliss with the person you love, where you feel as if the world could end right then and you would be content because you were in your lover's arms.

At that moment Draco stirred on the ground, recognition in his eyes, and he started talking, so faintly that Hermione could just barely hear him.

"B-baby, don't cry...remember what I said a couple of days ago? At my father's funeral about death not being the end of a life, but the end of a person's time here on Earth? Trust me, my journey's only just begun, and when you join me I promise I'll be right there waiting for you, just like you were for me when I switched sides. Remember Hermione, I'll always love you and not even death can take me away from you...please just don't...forget me...."

As he trailed off, Hermione cried out for him to not leave her, holding his hand and clutching his body to her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she felt his breathing slow, the stop altogether.

"DRACOO!!! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

Sobbing she continued to hold him, begging him to stay with her,

"Please Draco, you're my life, you're the only thing that holds me together, how am I supposed to live without you? You were always there when I needed you, you can't go now...Please Draco...please don't leave me..."

Standing up, she refused to let go of his body, and she apparated them back to the Malfoy Manor, which they had lived in as they were planning their wedding.

"We never got to get married Draco...we were supposed to live happily ever after in that house overlooking the ocean, and lay outside watching the sunset in each other's arms...you're supposed to live so we can keep trying to get Harry and Luna together, and go to Blaise and Ginny's wedding...you weren't supposed to die Draco...we were supposed to be together forever..."

Taking his body out to the backyard, she found the spot they always sat in to watch the sunsets, eat picnics, or just enjoy being together. Using her wand, she muttered an incantation that dug a neat hole just big enough for his body, and gently placed him in it, as you would a baby in it's crib. Transfiguring her bracelet into a headstone, she inscribed a message on it,

'Draco Abraxos Malfoy, the love of Hermione Granger's life, and a true fallen Hero.'

Hermione then layed down next to the grave, clutching the locket he gave her on her 18th birthday that contained a picture of the 2 of them in that very same spot. She layed there, contemplating what she could do next, and deciding she couldn't live without the love of her life, she lifted her wand for the last time, and created letters to her family and friends, explaining her choice and wishing them goodbye, then shut her eyes falling into an eternal sleep next to her fallen hero. 


End file.
